PANJIM: Kids in Goa interested in football stand the chance of gaining top class training from coaches affiliated to Manchester United Soccer schools. This follows the launching of the third edition of the United We Play programme at the Don Bosco Auditorium on Thursday in the presence of Manchester United’s first team players David De Gea, Anthony Elanga and Donny van de Beek in Goa.
United We Play is an on-ground grassroots football initiative, supported by Manchester United and Apollo Tyres to encourage young football talent from across the country by giving them a platform to showcase their skills with the objective of motivating aspiring footballers to continue playing and introducing them to global training methodologies.
Donny van de Beek, the Dutch midfielder, when asked about football in India, said, “I have heard about football in India having interacted with older players who had played in the country.”
David De Gea, a Spanish goalkeeper said, “It is a great initiative to show the kids how to enjoy the sport and to be an inspiration to others.”
Speaking about special moments in his career, he said it would certainly be the 2015 Premier league triumph and the fact that he could travel around the world and just be part of this club. Anthony Elanga, the Swedish winger said, “It is quite obvious football was growing in the country. My advice to any youngster is that it should be important to keep performing in training and the reward will come in the end. There is no pressure but pleasure.”
The first two seasons received an overwhelming response with over 10,000 players from the country participating in the hybrid programme comprising on-ground trials and virtual sessions with Manchester United Soccer Schools’ coaches. The last season saw four young footballers – Chennai’s R S Preyarhanjan, Meghalaya’s Federick Kurbah, Chandigarh’s Ronald Singh and Pune’s Kunal Yeole get a lifetime opportunity to visit Old Trafford to participate in exciting activities like a match-day experience, training session with Manchester United Soccer School coaches, and a chance to interact with the Club’s Legends.
The third edition United We Play will have Virtual Masterclass with Manchester United Soccer School (MUSS) coaches in over 15 cities from January to March 2023. This will be followed by the on-ground scouting of footballing talent in 12 Indian cities and 3 cities in the APMEA region, in the months of March/April 2023. Around 8,500-10,000 young footballers are expected to take part in this edition.
Manchester United’s CEO of Alliance and Partnerships, Victoria Thompson, said, “Manchester United is proud of its longstanding relationship with Apollo Tyres and the work they do to encourage football amongst young players, giving them this unique opportunity to showcase their skills and talent. The previous two seasons saw a record participation and I am sure this time it will be bigger than the previous editions.”
Commenting on the launch of the third edition of UWP, Vikram Garga, Group Head, Marketing, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (APMEA) region, Apollo Tyres Ltd, said “We have been working towards development of football at the grassroot level in India, which helps us interact and engage with the community, both at the rural and urban centres. The third edition of United We Play promises to be even bigger, as Apollo Tyres and Manchester United look to increase participation and expand the footprint of the program even further.”
